The Edge

‘The Edge’ is an adventurous survival thriller released on September 26, 1997. This movie was directed by Lee Tamahori and the screenplay was written by Lee Tamahori himself and David Mamet.

The cast includes the following actors:

Anthony Hopkins as Charles Morse

Alec Baldwin Robert Green

Elle Macpherson as Mickey Morse

Harold Perrineau as Stephen

Bart the Bear

LQ Jones as Styles

Kathleen Wilhoite as Ginny

Plot summary:

The opening sequence of the movie begins with a scene showing a man named Charles Morse who is a billionaire. He wants to do a memorable photo shoot with his wife Mickey Morse. So they hire a very famous photographer in the town named Bob. Charles takes him and his assistant to a resort in Alaska.

 

The owner of the resort warns them not to keep any food open because there are wild bears that are very dangerous. All the people now go to their respective rooms. At night, Charles feels hungry so he gets down the stairs. There he finds some meet that was left open. He also sees that the door is open so he goes to close the door. At the very moment, he gets attacked by a bear. But surprisingly it was not the bear but Bob and they were just playing a prank. Since it is his birthday today, so his wife planned a surprise party. His wife Mickey gifts him a watch whereas the photographer gifts him a pocket knife. There was a note too with the knife but Charles doesn’t read that.

 

The next day is the solo photo shoot of Mickey. Bob clicks a lot of photos of Mickey. He even flirts with her and Charles was looking at this from far away. Bob tells that now they want a male model to shoot with her. Charles says that he would shoot with her but Bob declines that. Actually, Bob is Charles’s childhood friend and Bob is jealous of his success. Now Bob sees a photo of a hunter and tells that he wants him as a model with the owner of the hotel. The owner gives him the location. This seems to be in inner Alaska. So Charles, Bob and his assistant go to that location on a plane. But they find that the hunter has left a note there stating that they should come to the specified location in the note in order to find him. So they decide to go there. But on the way their plane gets hit by birds and the plane crashes in the lake. The pilot dies whereas the other members somehow save their life. Since they are totally wet now, they feel very cold and Bob takes his waterproof matchbox out. They burn the fire and stay there that night.

 

The next morning, Charles says that they should go to Hunter’s place because it is safer. They head towards that place but they get followed by a bear. They try crossing the river by putting a log over it. Bob and his assistant successfully cross the river but when it is Charles’s turn the bear comes and moves the log. Charles falls to the river and his sensors flow there. But somehow he is saved and they head towards their destination. But they find out that they have come to the same place from where they started.

 

They seem clueless because they don’t have food too. Charles tells the assistant to catch fish with the knife. But the assistant mistakenly hurts his own knee and starts bleeding. Charles puts the bandage over the wound and tells Bob to burn the cloth full of blood because a bear may come looking at that. They decide to spend the night there itself because the assistant can’t walk. That night, it starts raining. Bob had not burnt that cloth and hence the bear comes there. It attacks on them and it kills that assistant.

 

Now only Charles and Bob are left. They make a trap to hunt squirrels so that they can eat it. It starts snowing too. A helicopter comes for their rescue but it can’t see them because they were overshadowed by the trees so it leaves. Bob gets angry at Charles and starts shouting. He takes all his frustrations out by telling that he is jealous of all his wealth and success.

 

They continue their journey because they don’t have any other option. But they once again get attacked by the bear but they run away. That night, they sleep by making a fire boundary. Charles says that they should kill the bear because they can’t keep running like this. Bob doesn’t accept that because he says that it is very strong and they can’t confront the bear. But Charles insists and they finally decide to do it. Charles puts that knife over a stick to make a long weapon and he puts a cloth covered with blood over it. Bear comes there and starts chasing them. It even attacks Bob but Charles distracts the bear and kills the bear.

 

Now they have a lot of bear meat and fur too. And then they head towards the correct direction by making a compass with the needle of the watch his wife gifted. They reach a cabin but they don’t find anyone there. They find alcohol, gun, and map there. Charles looks at the location of the resort. Meanwhile, Bob goes out to see if the boat is working.

 

Charles looks at the letter that was with the knife. Actually, it is the bill of the knife and the watch together. This means that Bob and Mickey are having an affair. Charles asks Bob about all this and he accepts that. He even tells that Mickey married him just because of his wealth. Charles feels sad. Bob even points the gun toward Charles to kill him so that he can marry Mickey. But Charles smartly puts him in a trap and he falls into it. Bob gets heavily injured but Charles doesn’t leave him like that but rather takes him out and puts on a bandage and takes him into the boat to safely take him to the resort. Bob feels sorry about he couldn’t be a good friend.

 

They rest at the bank. Bob is heavily injured. Bob tells Charles that Mickey has no fault in this but it was him who put her in the delusion of love. A helicopter comes for their rescue but Bob is no more till that time. He comes to the resort which is full of reporters. Charles doesn’t say anything to Mickey but hands her that watch and she understands that he knows everything. Mickey with full guilt hugs Charles. Reporters ask him how the other two were killed and he emotionally replies that they lost their lives while saving him. This show how noble man Charles was. And with this, the movie comes to an end.